Adjustable wall-mounted ventilator



July 3, 1956 A. 1.. SIMBLEST 2,752,344

ADJUSTABLE WALL-MOUNTED VENTILATOR Filed Jan. 18. 1954 INVENTOR ATTORNEY ADJUSTABLE WALL-MOUNTED VENTILATOR Allen L. Simblest, Columbus, Ohio, assignor to Shawnee Industries, Inc., Columbus, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application January 18, 1954, Serial No. 404,500

1 Claim. (Cl. 98121) This invention relates to walbmounted building ventilators, having particular reference to wall ventilators embodying an outer frame which carries a plurality of spaced, stationary, downwardly slanting louvers, and wherein the frame carries a marginally disposed flange formation by which the ventilator is adapted to be received in an opening provided therefor in an associated building wall.

As presently constructed, such ventilators are formed to comprise two general types. In a first type, the ventilators are formed so that they may be positioned in openings made therefor in already formed or prebuilt walls. in this first form the flange formations present on their louver-carrying frames are arranged in flush order with the outer faces of the ventilators for direct engagement with adjacent outer surfaces of the building walls. Hence, such ventilators are quite generally identified as flush ventilators.

In the other or second type of such wall ventilators, the attaching flange, which bounds the louver-carrying frame, is arranged intermediately of or between the vertical front and back faces of the ventilator. By so disposing the flange formation, this construction makes expedient the building or erection of a wall around the ventilator, so that the latter is incorporated in the wall at the time it is being built. This enables the flange formation to be concealed within the wall, and at the same time the frame of the ventilator forms a body about which the building wall is constructed; hence, this second type of ventilator is generally known as the self-casing or self-framing type.

Since these two types of ventilators are so generally accepted and widely used in building construction, it is now necessary for manufacturers of such equipment and dealers handling the same to produce and keep in stock the several sizes of both types, with attendant high manufacturing and inventory costs.

It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a single adjustable-type ventilator which is operable to fulfill the requirements of the two separate types of fixed ventilators formerly employed in the trade.

Another object is to provide a wall ventilator of the type indicated, wherein a louver-carrying frame has an adjustable band member mounted thereon for sliding movement between vertical planes defining the front and rear faces of the frame, or the frame is adjustable with respect to the band member, said member being formed to include a vertically disposed attaching flange which is arranged for engagement with adjacently disposed vertical surfaces of an associated building wall and to which the flange is secured by suitable fastening means to hold securely the ventilator in its operative position in an opening provided therefor in said wall.

A further object of the invention is to provide a ventilator of the character described, wherein provision is made for positively retaining the flange-carrying band member in its operative positions of relative sliding adjustment with respect to the main or louver frame of the ventilator,

nited States Patent "ice whereby to enable a single composite ventilator to be utilized fully and eflfectively in the same capacities heretofore requiring the use of the separate flush" and selfframing types of ventilators.

A still further object is to provide a louver-type wall ventilator which comprises an improvement generally upon presently used and prior constructions of this kind, and one which is convenient to adjust and install, is mechanically simple yet efficient, possessess high strength and durability, and is capable of low cost manufacture.

For a further understanding of the invention, reference may now be had to the following detailed description of a preferred form of the ventilator and the accompanying drawings illustrating the same. In said drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my improved dual-type ventilator;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken through the ventilator and disclosing the same when adjusted for use as a self-framing construction for incorporation in an associated building wall at the time the wall is being erected;

Fig. 3 is a similar view disclosing the ventilator when adjusted for flush installation in an opening provided therefor in a wall subsequent to the erection thereof;

Fig. 4 is a detail transverse sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken on the line 55 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the details of construction of my improved ventilator in the single but preferred form thereof illustrated in the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the main louver frame of the ventilator. The frame, as here shown, comprises a rigid rectangular body of sheet metal or the like, possessing a depth or thickness corresponding approximately to that of the building wall 2 in which the ventilator is mounted. Because of its rectangular configuration, the frame 1 is composed of a pair of longitudinally spaced, vertically extending, parallel side rails 3 which are formed with or rigidly connected to upper and lower, horizontally extending, parallel rails 4. Internally the frame is provided with a plurality of rigid, vertically aligned, relatively spaced, parallel and horizontally extending louvers 5. The latter are inclined or slanted in a downward and outward direction and, in registration with the transversely spaced vertical planes defining the front and back faces of the frame, are formed with vertical webs 6. Due to the inclination of the louvers and their relative spacing, the louvers are disposed substantially in vertical overlapping registry to provide for the free and unobstructed passage of air and light between them, but to preclude the passage of rain or moisture to any substantial extent. In securing the ends of the louvers to the rails 3, it will be noted, upon reference to Fig. 4, that the opposite ends of each louver may, for example, be provided with downwardly turned tongues 7. The latter may pass through slots 8 formed in inwardly bulged regions 9 of the rails 3, said regions forming inset pockets in the outer surfaces of the rails so that the tongues 7 will lie flush with the outer surfaces of the rails 3, as shown. However, it will be understood that any suitable means for fastening the louvers to the rails may be employed.

Surrounding the frame and disposed in contact with its outer surfaces is a sheet metal band member 10. The latter is formed in this instance with a continuous vertically disposed flange 11 which is adapted to be secured in a positive and secure manner, as by means of the fastening devices or nails 12, to the adjacent portions of an associated building wall 2. By the employment of this construction, the frame 1 and the band member 10 are capable of being adjusted relatively and with respect to each other. In certain instances, in the installation of the ventilator, it is necessary, as shown in Fig. 3, to cut or otherwise form an opening 13 in the wall 2 when the latter is already formed, the opening possessing the general dimensions of the frame 1. In this commonly encountered condition, it is necessary to locate the flange 11 in an exposed position on the outside of the wall 2. When, however, the ventilator is incorporated in the Wall, as indicated in Fig. 2, as it is undergoing erection, the flange 11 may be disposed, through adjustment of the band 10, so that said flange will occupy a concealed position within the confines of the wall. In Fig. 2 it will be noted that the attaching flange engages directly an inner frame member 14 of the wall 2 and is covered by the outer siding or like 15 of said wall. The slidable relative adjustment between the frame 1 and band member makes this construction practicable, as will be readily understood.

To retain the frame 1 and the band member 10 in their positions of relative adjustment, various constructions may be employed. In the preferred form of the ventilator here under consideration, the side rails 3 of the main frame are formed with a plurality of spaced, parallel, longitudinally extending grooves 16, thelatter being coextensive inlength with the rails in which they are formed. Arranged to be selectively positioned in said grooves are interfitting ribs 17 which are formed with the vertical sides 10a of said band member, the ribs being ret'ainedpositively in their seated positions in their receiving grooves by the inherent resiliency of the structure. In this instance the extent of adjustment of the frame 1 and band member 10 is positively limited by, for example, one or more studs 18. As shown in Fig. 5, the stud 18 therein is received in a slot 19 formed in the adjacent rail 3 of the frame 1 to limit the adjustment.

It will be evident from the foregoing that the improved wall-mounted louver-type ventilator of the present invention provides a novel and convenient means by which the peripheral attaching flange of such a ventilator may be operatively positioned so that it may be mounted either within the confines of an associated building wall or in an exposed position on the exterior of the wall. The construction eliminates the present necessity of manufacturing and handling two or more different types of ventilators having attaching flanges arranged in fixed, predetermined, and non-adjustable positions on the'ventilator frame and, therefore, effects a very definite economy in the manufacture and sale of appliances of this type.

I claim:

An adjustable wall-mounted ventilator comprising an outer, rectangular, sheet metal frame member formed with a flat, substantially vertically arranged, marginal flange for attaching said frame member to a building wall in inal onding lation to the Outer Side o an Queuin formed transversely in and extending through the Wall, and a band portion disposed insubstantially perpendicular relation to said flange and extending inwardly of the wall opening therefrom, said band portion defining a generally horizontally disposed opening in said outer frame; an inner louver-carrying frame slidably carried within the opening defined by the b and portion of said outer frame and having generally vertically arranged, transversely spaced, outer and inner faces, said inner louver-carrying frame having a thickness dimension as measured by the transverse spacing of the faces thereof greater than that of said outer frame member and corresponding substantially to the thickness of the wall opening in which said ventilator is to be positioned, said inner frame being movable transversely within the horizontal opening provided in the band portion of said outer frame between a first position wherein the outer face of said inner frame is disposed along a common vertical plane with the marginal flange of said outer frame and a second position wherein the outer face of said inner frame is disposed in outwardly and laterally offset relation to the marginal flange of said outer frame; and means provided on the band portion of said outer frame member and on said inner frame for releasably holding the latter in either of said positions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 935,187 Burgess et al Sept. 28, 1909 1,463,294 Robinson July 31, 1923 1,609,409 Hubbard Dec. 7, 1926 2,049,856 Mueller Aug. 4, 1936 2,082,405 Lloyd et al June 1, 1 937 2,323,178 Denman June 29, 1943 2,355,836 Willey, Aug, '15, 1944 

